Iron Man’s favorite watch brand, Urwerk, just released a gold-cased version of its incredible UR-100 astronomical watch, nicknamed “Project C-3PO”, after another famous Sci-fi character. Produced in a limited run of just 25 units, the new Urwerk UR-100 Gold Edition offers a more luxurious take on the popular UR-100 watch, with its case milled from a single block of 2N yellow gold.
The limited-series watch also comes with a unique asymmetrical set of lugs and a prominent crown at 12 o’clock. The flat and angular shape of the case, with satin finished octogonal surfaces, give it a strangely industrial vibe, while the thin polished bevel, that sits atop the lugs, and the toothed surfaces at 3, 6 and 9 o’clock make this watch even more dramatic.
Just like the other UR-100 models, the new Gold Edition boasts an interesting mix of tiny, space-age-inspired parts that seem to be very difficult to decipher at first glance. The complex mechanism is basically a central rotating assembly with three arms, with each of the arms featuring its own rotating disk with hour numerals and a red pointer.
The time is displayed in the bottom part of the dial, with the numeral exposed on that disk being the current hour and the red pointer below showing the current minutes on the outer track.
The watch is powered by the in-house Caliber UR 12.01 automatic movement, with parts of it being on display through the dial and the sapphire caseback. The complex chain of helical and planetary gears drive the three rotating bridge arms to show the right time in a unique way, while the innovative Windfänger winding rotor tops this mechanism off, designed to reduce the stress on the rotor-bearing system.
Urwerk claims the UR-100 Gold Edition offers a 48-hour power reserve, with a 28,800 bph beat rate. This spectacular watch is also paired with a black crocodile strap that might seem incongruous at first glance, but it makes its avant-garde design stand out even more. The Gold Edition of the UR-100 is priced at $60,000, with the watch already available for purchase through authorized dealers.
